The Firework For Them
by DistantSenpai
Summary: Tsubasa and Honoka visit the summer festival together! On a special day with special feelings held for one another, will love bloom?


"Tsubasa-saaaaaannn!"

The familiar & energetic voice reached her ears, and Tsubasa turned her head to greet her friend.

…only for her to be stunned into silence.

Face lightly flushed from running, Honoka held her hands to her knees as she slowly caught her breath.

"Sorry…I'm late…" Honoka managed to squeeze out between breaths, then with a quick sigh, stood up and smiled brightly.

"…it's fine," Tsubasa replied uncharacteristically meek.

Honoka slightly tilted her head in confusion, then started walking closer to Tsubasa.

"Tsubasa-san? Is something wrong?"

Tsubasa watched her approach, then quickly averted her gaze in embarrassment.

It wasn't like her to act this way. She knew that. She was supposed to be the collected and cool senpai.

…but how was this fair at all?

"Your face is really red…are you sick?" Honoka asked quietly, then brought the back of her hand to Tsubasa's forehead.

Tsubasa finally brought her eyes back to Honoka, then sighed quietly as she gently pulled Honoka's hand away.

"…sorry, I'm fine. I was just surprised by your outfit," she admitted, and Honoka looked down at her clothes.

She was wearing a reddish-orange yukata, decorated in a floral pattern with dark-blue and bright-orange symbols of flowers and leaves spread throughout the fabric. She'd also switched out her normal hair ribbon to a dark-blue one to match the one on the back of her yukata.

It was a bit disheveled from running, but that didn't stop it from stunning Tsubasa.

"Oh, this? My mom said that for this festival, you just have to wear one…huh?"

Honoka stopped herself, then stared at Tsubasa's casual outfit as she realized it.

"Why don't you have one?" she asked, confused, then Tsubasa laughed a little.

"I think your mother meant something else," Tsubasa explained with a smile as she reached her hands out and started fixing Honoka's yukata.

Tsubasa made a mental note to thank Honoka's mother for the gift.

Honoka still didn't understand what her mother or Tsubasa meant, but it didn't matter that much. That wasn't what she needed to be concerned about.

She was here to enjoy herself. And also…

Her gaze drifted to Tsubasa's face, who was concentrated on making the yukata look perfect.

She'd make her feelings clear.

"There, all done."

She'd been oblivious for too long. It even took everyone else in µ's explaining it to her for her to finally understand it.

"Honoka-san?"

She liked Tsubasa. And tonight, she'd-

"Ahh!" Honoka yelled as a shiver went down her spine due to air suddenly being blown into her ear, and she turned with a blush toward the cause of it.

Tsubasa met her with a playful smirk.

"Finally! You weren't responding," Tsubasa said happily, but Honoka's eyes widened in response.

"S-Sorry! Even though it's finally the festival…" Honoka trailed off, feeling bad about getting lost in thought.

But Tsubasa just brought her hand to the top of Honoka's head.

"I don't mind, but…are you worried about something?" she asked cautiously, but Honoka quickly shook her head and showed a smile.

"I'm fine! I promise!"

Tsubasa eyed her suspiciously for a moment, then decided to drop it as she shrugged.

"All right, let's go then," Tsubasa suggested as she held out her hand, and Honoka looked at it for a few seconds before happily reaching out her own.

"Okay!" she answered energetically.

As the two of them walked toward the entrance, Tsubasa gently scratched her cheek with her free hand as a faint blush appeared on her face.

"You really look beautiful, by the way," she said quietly, the words barely reaching Honoka's ears, who now brought her gaze to the ground, embarrassed.

"Now I wish I wore a yukata too," Tsubasa admitted.

Wearing casual clothes to a summer festival seemed okay, and she didn't expect Honoka to dress up for it either. But now that she'd seen how cute Honoka looked…it affected her a bit.

However, Honoka smiled.

"I think you look really pretty in that outfit," Honoka replied meekly, and Tsubasa's face became hotter.

They didn't say anything else, but their grip on each other's hands tightened.

* * *

"No way no way no way no way! One more!"

The stall manager smiled nervously as he watched Honoka fail to hit the stuffed penguin plush yet again. He was happy to get business, but her reaction was beginning to scare him a little.

They'd been at this stand for a while now. The game was simple, all one had to do was shoot a cork from a toy rifle, and if they hit a prize, they'd win it.

Actually hitting something on the other hand…

Honoka let out a frustrated groan, then turned to the manager to ask for another shot, but Tsubasa laid a hand on her shoulder.

Tsubasa then looked at the manager.

"Is it okay if I help her?"

The man nodded to indicate it was fine, then leaned back and watched.

Tsubasa wrapped her arms around Honoka, placing her hands on top of hers as she helped steady the rifle.

"So, just hold it like this…"

Honoka tried to listen to the directions, but her focus was somewhere else as she became quiet.

Tsubasa was warm…she could stay like this for a while…

"And then you aim and…" Tsubasa cut herself off with a quiet sigh, then smirked as she brought her arms to Honoka's waist and hugged her from behind.

"Ehh!? T-Tsubasa-san?!" Honoka stammered as her face reddened, and she turned her head to find Tsubasa's smirk.

"If you keep zoning out then I'll do even more of that stuff, okay? Now…"

Honoka stared at her for a short moment, then got over her embarrassment with a laugh as she began to focus on Tsubasa's words.

…

_Bang!_

A wide smiled formed on Honoka's face.

"Tsubasa-san, I-!"

"Yeeeeeaaaahhhhhh!"

Tsubasa and Honoka turned to the manager with surprise after his loud outburst, and the three of them were silent for a bit.

Honoka's giggle broke the silence, and shortly after they were all laughing.

…

After learning the stall manager was just as excited for them as they were and receiving the penguin plush, they were about to leave the stall when Honoka noticed something hanging on the wall.

"Ah! There's even two!"

Tsubasa followed Honoka's gaze to see what caught her attention, then her eyes darted to the manager.

"How do we win those?" she asked as she gestured toward it, and the manager thought about it for a moment before smiling.

"Ah, for you two…"

…

"Isn't it cute?!" Honoka asked energetically as she showed her phone to Tsubasa, and Tsubasa smiled as she showed off her own phone.

"You're right, it is," she answered happily, and the two of them stared at their new matching phone charms for a while before pocketing their phones again.

As they began walking to their next stop though, Honoka thought about it once more.

"I wonder why he gave them to us for free, though…" she murmured curiously, and Tsubasa shrugged.

"Maybe it's a gift for good luck?" Tsubasa suggested casually.

"Hmm…"

As the two of them walked away, the stall manager watched with content as he silently cheered on the blooming love.

* * *

Tsubasa had learned something new about Honoka today.

Honoka…

Seemed to have a never-ending appetite.

They had been jumping from one food stall to the next, and yet Honoka still seemed hungry every time she saw something appetizing.

Okonomiyaki, yakitori, chocolate bananas, cotton candy, candy apples, shaved ice and so on…she seemed to never run out of room in her stomach.

Eventually, Tsubasa decided to tease her, saying that she would put on weight if she kept eating.

Then it was as if Honoka suddenly remembered a frightful existence that would scold her. Her expression turned to shock, and she quickly decided she wasn't hungry anymore.

The next stop for them was goldfish scooping. Most of the time, most players were young children, but nothing said adults couldn't participate either.

The game was simple in theory, like the shooting game. For this game, there were many goldfish in a pool, and all they had to do was scoop one up in a paper scooper. The issue was that the paper on the scooper tended to tear very easily, and it's not as if the fish made it easier.

As Honoka began her failing streak, Tsubasa stared down at the pool, lost in thought.

She didn't like to get sentimental, but she couldn't help but be reminded of her current situation by looking at the pool.

All of the goldfish were happily swimming together, all in one place. They might be on opposite ends of the pool, but that still wasn't a very far distance.

But then a goldfish would get scooped out and have to leave.

She'd be graduating soon, and Honoka was still in her second year.

A-RISE now had a manager as well and were set to become a real professional idol group. There was no telling what would become of that.

So…if she wanted to let her feelings be known…it had to be-

"Tsubasa-san!"

Her favorite voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned her head to see Honoka beaming with energy, smiling as she triumphantly held up a plastic bag with a goldfish swimming inside.

"I got one!" she announced excitedly.

Tsubasa relaxed as all her worries were put at ease.

…

They had just started walking away from the stand when suddenly a child's cries reached their ears. When they turned their heads, they realized it was from a young girl at the goldfish scooping stall.

The girl was crying because her mother had told her that they couldn't play the game anymore, but the child still hadn't caught a goldfish yet. Apparently, the mother hadn't brought enough money, and they had already spent all they had on food and other games.

The mother began sheepishly asking nearby strangers for 100 yen so her daughter could play again, and Tsubasa watched with surprise as Honoka started walking toward the pair.

Honoka crouched down next to the girl and held up the bag with a smile.

"Look! This one jumped out for you!" she announced happily, and the girl looked at her, confused.

"For me…?"

"Mhm! She said, 'don't leave me, miss!' He saw it too, right?" Honoka asked as she looked at the stall manager, who quickly agreed with a smile.

At those words, the girl's eyes lit up and she excitedly accepted the bag.

"Thanks, Onee-chan!" the girl said energetically, then smiled as Honoka pat her head.

The mother and little girl bowed and thanked Honoka again before walking away, and Tsubasa finally walked up to Honoka.

"Are you sure?"

Honoka nodded, then gently scratched the back of her head with embarrassment.

"Well, it's better with them, and they seemed really happy, so…" she trailed off, and Tsubasa smirked.

"I see," she said casually, then softly grabbed Honoka's hand as they continued their date.

It was quiet for a few moments as they walked until Tsubasa quietly spoke up.

"You're amazing."

Honoka's face instantly went bright red.

"W-Where did that come from?!" she stammered, and Tsubasa giggled.

* * *

It was time.

Time for the festival to end…and time for something else.

They stood side-by-side as they watched the dazzlingly beautiful fireworks.

"Pretty…" Honoka whispered in amazement, and Tsubasa swallowed subconsciously from nervousness.

If there was ever a best moment to do what she wanted to do…it was now. If she didn't do it now…she didn't know when she would.

Tsubasa held Honoka's hand tighter, then turned toward her.

"Honoka-san!"

Honoka jumped a bit in surprise from suddenly being called, but turned toward Tsubasa as well, who had a serious expression on her face.

Tsubasa breathed a quiet sigh, then stared into Honoka's eyes.

Regardless of the answer she'd receive…no matter how the night would end…she needed to get her feelings out in the open.

And she hoped that Honoka would accept them.

"I love you."

Honoka stood there in shock for a few moments.

Tsubasa waited patiently, but then her eyes widened when a tear ran down Honoka's cheek.

"Honoka-san, I-" she started, but cut herself off when Honoka quickly shook her head with a smile and wiped the tear away.

"Sorry…it's just…I'm so happy. Tsubasa-san…" she trailed off, and then gazed into Tsubasa's eyes once more.

"I love you too."

A vibrant, boomingly loud firework lit up the sky, and while everyone else's attention was on it…in what felt like their own secluded world…

They shared a kiss as if the firework was for them.


End file.
